Regulator for vapor heating systems



L. A. CHERRY.

REGULATOR FOR VAPOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 1, 191B. RENEWED DEC. 20. 1921.

1A23A92, Pa ented uly 18, 1922.

[NI/INTO? REGULATOR FOR VAPOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

Application filed February 1, 19. .8, Serial No. 214,848. Renewed December 20, $21.

To MK 20 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, Lns'rnn A. CHERRY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Kenmore, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Regulator for Vapor Heating Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and enactv description.

My invention relates generally to vapor heating systems and more particularly to an automatic regulator for controlling such systems.

The general objects of my invention have been to provide a regulator which shall be cheap to manufacture; one entirely automatic in its operation; one simple in its construction; and also one so reliable in its action as to require no care or attention, it being devoid of parts which are liable to get out of order or cause trouble.

Some of the specific objects of my invention arez'to provide a regulator, the operation of which shall be independent of the level of the water in the boiler; to provide a large, shallow float for the regulator, which shall. be verysensitive in its operation, and one not susceptible to leaks; to provide means for keeping the float filled at all times, thereby maintaining it at a constant'weight; and to provide an air vent for the regulator which'shall be automatically controlled so as to enable air to GK- haust from the return. pipe and to seal the same against the discharge of water from the. boiler.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig.1 is: a longitudinal, sectional view taken through the center of my regulator.

Fig. 2 is an exterior view of the regulator, showing its'connection to the heating system.

The device comprises a body casing 5, which is provided at one side with an offset casing'6, forming a steam chamber 7. The body casing is provided near its bottom with a partition 8, having a, downwardly extending neck 9, thus forming a central aperture 10. The partition 8 thus provides a well 11 in the lower part of the casing, and an expansion chamber 33 above the well. The'well'connects with the steam chamber 7 by means ofan'overfiow' port 12, which terminates at the level of the partition 8,'so

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Serial No. 523,773.

that the well is always filled with water. lVhen installing the regulator, it is arranged at such an elevation that its parti tion 8 will be above any possible water level 1n the boiler, the operation of my device be ng entirely independent of the-height of the water within the boiler.

Arranged within the expansion chamber 33 18 3, float 13 of the bucket type.- The float 1s carried by an arm 14, which is secured to a shaft 15, passing through a suitable stufiing box (not shown) in an offset portion 16'of the casing. 'The shaft 15 has secured at its outer end, an arm 17, to which 1s fastened an adjustably mounted counterweight 18.

The casing 5 is provided in its top with a .screwthreaded aperture, in which is fitted an inlet pipe 19 carrying the return water from the heating system. This pipe 19'is arranged in such a position that the return water will fall into the bucket float and keep it constantly filled. Inlthe top of the steam chamber 7 is screwthreaded a steam pipe 20, which is connected withthe steam dome 21 of the boiler 22, whereby the steam within this chamber is kept at the same pressure as that within the boiler. At the bottom of the steam chamber is screwthreaded a discharge pipe 23, which is connected with the water space of the boiler and acts as a return to the boiler of the water coming from the system through the regulator. i

The steam chamber and the expansion chamber with the apertured partition form essentially a U-tube. The float 13 moves vertically in the expansion chamber, and the operation of the drafts is governed by the height of the water in the chamber. For a definite pressure, the water in the expansion chamber will rise to a definite height above the overflow port of the pressure chamber, and, when the pressure in the boiler rises to a predetermined point, the drafts will be shut off. Therefore, in order that the float may rise to a fixed point it is also necessary that the height of the water in the pressure chamber should be fixed. This is accomplished by the constant influx of water (returning from the system) into the U-tube of the regulator, which always keeps the level of the lower or pressure side of the U-tube at the point whereit flows into'the return'pipe 23, and thence to the boiler. Bythis means the levelfof the water at the bottom of the steam chamber, or in the low or pressure side of the U-tube, and that in the expansion chamber, or high or expansion side of the U-tube, are both independent of the height of the water within the boiler; the first being determined by the height of the overflow, and the second by the boiler pressure only.

Arranged. in the top of the casing 5, and in communication with the expansion chamber 33, is an air vent 2a, which comprises a valve 25 carried by the hollow, vent float 2G and engageable with a valve seat 27 fitted into the vent opening 28. A strap 29 is arranged beneath the float 26, so as to keep it normally in the position shown When the water within the casing 5 rises to the top thereof, the float will be raised and close the valve 25, thus preventing water from being discharged from the casing.

34 is a damper chain passing over the pulleys 30 and having one end connected with the draft inlet damper 31 and the other end with the check damper 85. The outer end of the arm 17 is connected with the chain 34, so that as the float is raised or lowered by the level of the water within the chamber 33, the dampers will be controlled. A water gauge 32, secured to the casing 5, indicates the level of the water within the same and hence the pressure within the system.

hen my regulator has been installed and the counter-weight 1S properly adjusted, the counter-balancing e'lfect of: the counterweight is slightly less than the combined weight of the float 13 and its contained water when the expansion chamber 33 is empty; or slightly more than the combined weight of the float and its contained water when the level of the return water has risen in the expansion chamber.

During the operation of my regulator, the water returning from the system comes through the inlet pipe 19, and empties into the float 13. It runs over the sides of the float and down through the opening 10 in the partition 8 to the well 11, and thence into the steam chamber 7, through the overflow port 12, and into the discharge pipe 23, whence it is conducted to the water space of the boiler. The water is constantly overflowing into the pipe 23, irrespective of the pressure of steam in the boiler. However, as the pressure within the boiler increases, the pressure within the steam chamber 7 will also be increased. This will cause the water to rise within the expansion chamber 33 and thereby raise the float 13. As this float is raised, the arm 17 is lowered to operate the dampers and check the fire. its the pressure decreases, the level of the water within the expansion chamber 38 will be lowered, and the arm 17 thereby raised to open the dampers, whereby the fire will be accelerated. The neck 9, extending from the underside of the partition 8, is provided so that the steam from the steam chamber 7 cannot readily pass into the expansion chamber 33 when the water in the well is partially depressed by the pressure or the steam. Sometimes the pressure within the boiler rises momentarily above the normal. During these intervals the water within the bucket chamber 33 may rise to the top of the chamber and often into the inlet pipe 19. Air will be expelled from the chamber 3 until the water has reached the vent float 26. This float will then be raised with the water and act to close the air vent, preventin g the discharge of water from the system.

Obviously, some modifications of the de tails herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spiritoi my invention or the scope oi the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a vapor heating system, the combination with a boiler, of a regulator conneoted with the boiler, means for conducting all the condensation of the system to and through the regulator, means connected with the regulator and the dampers of the boiler for controlling the boiler pressure, and means for maintaining definite levels of water within the regulator for any given steam pressure, independent of the height of the water within the boiler.

2. In a vapor heating system, the com,- bination with a boiler of a regulator having an expansion chamber and a well, an apertured partition separating the expansion chamber and the well, overflow means for the well, a steam chamber connected with the boiler and in communication with the overflow means of the well, a float arranged within the expansion chamber and operatively connected with the dampers of the boiler, a pipe carrying returns from the system, and opening into the expansion chamber, and a discharge pipe connecting the regulator with the boiler.

3. In a vapor heating system, the combination with a boiler of a regulator having an expansion chamber and a well, an apertured partition separating the expansion chamber and the well, overflow means for the well, a steam chamber connected with the boiler and in communication with the overflow means of the well, a bucket float arranged within the expansion chamber and operatively connected with the dampers of the boiler, a pipe carrying returns from the system and discharging into said bucket float, and a discharge pipe connecting the regulator with the boiler.

a. In a vapor heating system, the com bination with a boiler, of a regulator provided with an expansion chamber having a bottom provided with a downwardly extending tube, a well below the expansion chamber into which the tube leads, a steam chamber connected with the boiler and in communication with the well, a float arranged within the expansion chamber and operatively connected with the dampers of the boiler, means for conducting all the con densation of the system to and through the regulator, and means for maintaining definite levels of water within the regulator, at any given steam pressure, independent of the height of the water within the boiler.

5. In a vapor heating system, the combination with a boiler, of a regulator provided with an expansion chamber having a bottom provided with a downwardly extending tube, a well below the expansion chamber into which the tube leads, overflow means for the well, a steam chamber connected with the boiler and in communication with the well, a float arranged within the expansion chamber and operatively connected with the dampers of the boiler, a pipe carrying returns from the system and opening into the expansion chamber, and a discharge pipe connecting the regulator with the boiler.

6. In a vapor heating system, the com bination with a boiler, of a regulator connected with the boiler, means for conducting all the condensation of the system to and through the regulator, means connected with the regulator and the dampers of the boiler for controlling the boiler pressure, means for maintaining a definite level of water within the pressure side of the regu lator at all steam pressures, and means for maintaining a level of water in the expansion chamber of the regulator, which varies with the varying steam pressure, both levels being independent of the height of the water within the boiler.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

LESTER A. CHERRY. 

